Fantastic!

After playing with our expectations, this turns out to be a very different sort of film.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

I didn’t really have many expectations going into the movie (good or bad), but I actually really enjoyed it. I really liked the characters and the banter between them.

In Rotterdam, when Kevin Burke (Skeet Ulrich) is promoted to chief of security of a multinational investment bank, he goes to a hotel with his girlfriend, the executive of the bank Rosalind Bremmond (Katherine Lang), to celebrate and propose her to marry him. However, Rosalind is murdered in the room, and blind of rage, Kevin looks for revenge following the guidance of his chief and mentor Karl Jorgensen (Derek de Lint)."Soul Assassin" is a horrible movie, indeed a festival of clichés. The story is totally unbelievable and amazingly ridiculous; the characters are not well-developed and the viewer does not know who they are and their motives; the camera seems to be shooting a MTV video-clip; the choreography of the fights is awful, with many closes and cuts. I have seen few Dutch movies, but this one is certainly the worst. My vote is three.Title (Brazil): "Alma Assassina" ("Assassin Soul")

If there is a new type of film genre, maybe it should be film bleu, as is the case with this movie. First time director Laurence Malkin must be credited with the idea. He has given the film a blue tint in its entirety. The film tries to do too many things and the plot is a puzzle if one doesn't pay close attention. Also, at times, it feels like a rock video without music.The film shot entirely in Holland moves at a fast pace. Like other thrillers, this one delivers for those people seeking instant gratification in watching it. Sometimes one wonders how can these people in the action scenes survive being shot at with high powered rifles. On the other hand, the scene at the hotel where Kevin's girlfriend dies, is very real: this is what happens to people when they are killed.The hero, Skeet Ulrich, is put through a lot in the film. Of course, he survives with only a few scratches after what is done to him, otherwise there wouldn't be a film at all, would it? The bad guys are more interesting. The Dutch actors are very good and the backdrop is Rotterdam, with a few detours to Amsterdam and Uttrecht, posing as the first city.Derek de Lint plays with gusto. Would have loved to have seen more of Rena Owens, the great New Zealand actress, but alas, it wasn't meant to be. And finally, Nicholas Irons, can't deny he is Jeremy's son. What an uncanny resemblance!

I rented this film at the same time I rented Trapped and got an entirely opposite reaction from one to the other even though both were action thrillers.Trapped was a mess. Big names, big budget for explosions and chases. Soul Assassin appears to have been made on a comparative shoe string budget (bicycle chases in Amsterdam?). Anyway, it has style, no really big names, an attitude (Hi Tech look, feel, sound track) and a lot of fun. Check your preconceptions at the door and enjoy the ride.

There's nothing better than finding a fun movie that you've never heard of before. This was just such a movie. I rented it on the recommendation of a friend, and was pleasantly surprised. The story was unpredictable, the action was solid, the music was great, what more can be said? A fun little action flick well-worth renting.